[From Thompson & West's History of Nevada 1881, With Illustrations And Biographical Sketches Of Its Prominent Men And Pioneers, pp. 40-41]

40        HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEVADA.

            On the sixth of November, 1856, Orson Hyde started on his return to Salt Lake. He traveled by a more southern route than the Humboldt, and reached his destination December 9th. His companions in the journey were Simon Baker, James Kathall, John Vance, Wm. Price, Durffe, Carter, Harsee, Woodland, and Butcher, the latter with a wife and two children. This pioneer organizer of Carson County died at Spring City, San Pete County, Utah, November 28, 1878, leaving behind him the following strange evidence of his peculiar character, feelings, beliefs, and experience, while operating in what is now Nevada:—

ORSON HYDE'S CURSE.

G. S. L. CITY, JANUARY 27, 1862.

TO THE PEOPLE OF CARSON AND WASHOE VALLEYS-

            Ladies and Gentlemen : Not quite seven years ago I was sent to your district as Probate Judge of Carson County, with powers and instructions from the executive of this Territory to organize your district into a county under the laws of Utah—those valleys being then the lawful and rightful field of Utah's jurisdiction; but opposition on your part to the measure was unceasingly made in almost every form, both trivial and important, open and secret. Your allies in California were ever ready to second your opposition of whatever character or in whatever shape.

            In the year following (1856, I think,) Mr. Price and myself built a valuable saw-mill in Washoe Valley, made and purchased several land claims there for ourselves and our friends—made considerable improvements thereon; but being called away on short notice, this property, then worth $10,000, was rented to Jacob Rose for a limited term, at a stipulated price. On this rent he advanced one span of small, indifferent mules, an old worn-out harness, two yokes of oxen, and an old wagon. This is all that we have ever received for the use of our property in that valley, though we have sent bills for goods or merchandise; but no response, except on paper, and even that not of the most encouraging kind.

            We have been patient, and have not murmured. We have made little or no effort to sell our property there, because we considered that those who had it thought they were doing God and themselves a service by wronging the Mormons; and for me, I felt backward to do anything in the premises until the Lord should tell me what to do (it being on his account, or on account of his religion, that we were

CARSON COUNTY ORGANIZED. 41

deprived of any benefit from it.) That time has now come, and the Lord has signified to me, his unworthy servant, that as we have been under circumstances that compelled us to submit to your terms, that He will place you under circumstances that will compel you to submit to ours, or do worse.

            That mill and those land claims were worth $10,000 when we left them; the use of that property, or its increased value since, is $10,000 more, making our present demand $20,000.

            Now if the above sum be sent to me in Great Salt Lake City, in cash, you shall have a clean receipt therefor, in the shape of honorable quit claim deeds to all the property that Orson Hyde, William Price and Richard Bentley owned in Washoe Valley. The mill, I understand, is now in the hands of R. D. Sides, and has been for a long time. But if you shall think best to repudiate our demand or any part of it, all right. We shall not make it up again in this world in any shape of any of you ; but the said R. D. Sides and Jacob Rose shall be living and dying advertisements of God's displeasure, in their persons, in their families, and in their substances; and this demand of ours, remaining uncanceled, shall be to the people of Carson and Washoe Valleys as was the ark of God among the Philistines. (See 1st Sam. fifth chapter.) You shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts with thunder and with earthquakes and with floods, with pestilence and with famine until your names are not known amongst men, for you have rejected the authority of God, trampled upon his laws and his ordinances, and given yourselves up to serve the god of this world; to rioting in debauchery, in abominations, drunkenness and corruption. You have chuckled and gloried in taking the property of the Mormons, and withholding from them the benefits thereof. You have despised rule and authority, and put God and man at defiance. If perchance, however, there should be an honest man amongst you, I would advise him to leave; but let him not go to California for safety, for he will not find it there.

            On hearing the contents of this letter, you may send forth volleys of your wrath with your taunts, jeers, and scurrilous indignation; but you will only prove the more conspicuously that you are dealing with an Apostle of God, or that an Apostle of God is dealing with you, whom you have rejected. The hand of God is already beginning to be upon you for evil and not for good. The golden treasures of the earth are there to call together the worshipers of the god of this world, that you may there receive a common fate.

            I have no sordid desire for gold, and have manifested it by my long silence and manifest indifference; and should not say anything now had not the visions of the Almighty stirred up my mind.

            We warned and forewarned the people of Missouri, more than twenty years ago, of what should befall them for treating the Mormons in the way they did; but did they believe us then ? Do they believe us now? No ! Yet what is their present condition? Blood and fire may tell. We likewise warned the people of the United States from Maine to Mississippi, and from Boston to San Francisco, of the wars and troubles that were coming upon them for allowing the Saints and Prophets to be driven, scattered and slain, their property confiscated and destroyed, and they never raise a hand to protect the Saints, to punish the crimes of our persecutors, or to redress our wrongs in any way. We told the President and his Cabinet, proclaimed it to the Congress of the United States, and told them that desolating wars which should end in the death and misery of many souls should begin in South Carolina. Did they believe us then ? Do they believe us now ? No ! Yet what is their present condition ? They have eyes, but they see not—ears, but they hear not, and hearts, but they understand not. Their blood flows like water, and their rage like the ocean, yet they have not read the half of the preface of their national troubles.

            We now tell the people of Carson and Washoe Valleys some things that will befall them, and the reason why they will befall them. But will you believe us ? "Behold ye despisers, and wonder and perish! I will work a work in your day—a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." (See Isaiah, twenty-ninth chapter.)

            God is now beginning to deal with the inhabitants of the earth for the wrongs which they have done unto his people, and for rejecting his authority and counsel, given forth from Heaven through the Mormons. His dealings with them will be neither light nor on a limited scale. But those who do repent, and make right their wrongs, acknowledge the authority of God in the channel through which he hath sent it, may find mercy and protection in that channel, and nowhere else.

            I care not what our mill and land claims are, or were considered worth—whether five hundred thousand dollars, or five cents—twenty thousand dollars is our demand; and you can pay it to us, as I have said, and find mercy, if you will thenceforth do right, or despise the demand and perish.

            As usual, I feel quite indifferent about it, and what I have written I have written, and I excuse not myself.

            Without hypocrisy, deceit or falsehood, I remain as heretofore, a servant of God.   

ORSON HYDE.

P. S.—This letter, though indited by me, was written and signed by the hand of my clerk; yet I endorse it by my own hand, and request its contents to be made as public as consistent.

As above,        

ORSON HYDE.

SPRINGTOWN, San Pete County, U. T.,  March 11, 1862.

H. MOTT, ESQ.—Dear Sir: I have planted my suit to recover the value of our property in Washoe Valley in the Chancery of Heaven. Your note of the sixteenth ultimo brought me the satisfactory information that the papers were duly served; and now, without further argument, I am willing to rest our cause, and submit it to a final decision. But one thing I wish you, for your own sake, to remember, and that is, the word of the Lord, and the words of his servants have almost invariably been regarded by a wicked and unbelieving race as mere "moonshine," or as something of far less consequence. I have rested my cause, and shall say no more for some time yet to come.

Truly yours,

ORSON HYDE.